Reflecting on personal sound gear of 2016

[SR]

Hi, guys, I wanted to know what sound gears you guys are using and are thinking of buying in 2016. Hashing these out would be helpful to those of us looking to add new equipment.

So far I've been renting gear and hiring a dedicated audio guy, but I find myself wanting to learn and record bits and pieces whenever I have time, or even for one-man run-and-gun situations. My own focus is mid-level budget equipment. Zoom H5/6 looks good for the money, but I keep hearing the menu system is a little unnecessarily complex, when compared to similar budget recorders like Tascam. I myself would naturally prefer an equipment with an intuitive system. Any recommendations for a H6-level recorder with good preamp?

With shotguns, I've found the Sennheiser 416 to be too unforgiving in tests, and am looking into the NTG-3, which I've never tried but heard great things about. Any preferences on blimp and windscreen?

Lastly, I'm considering Juicelink's Little Darling audio recorder, as a substitute for the Sennheiser wireless. Would love to hear everyone's preference of lav mics. 

 

 

 

 

[Chris Bernard]

I went through the same exercise in 2015. I wound up investing in the following and I've been happy. 

Tascam 701D

2 Tascam DR-10C, only available outside the US for now. I leverage my Sennheiser G3 system and mics with this setup but Aspen or OST mics would work great too. Pairing two of these with a G3 system can create a super compact audio system with massive recording redundancy that you can monitor and even feed into a camera.

Used AT4053b and AT4073a mics. You have to be patient to find these used. Took me 6 months.

For the amateur stuff I do I've been pleased with this gear. For pure quality I'd look at a used MixPre, I had one of these and sold it, I regret that. But I find the Tascam 701D super easy to use once you get it set up right and it's super bag friendly and camera friendly.

[Policar]

I have a used AT4073a I'll sell cheap. Personally I prefer my 416 and don't find the AT to be less "unforgiving" but it's super good for the money, in the same league just very directional and hot (also can be a good thing). It's so hot it can help with bad preamps, too.

Look into the F8. That seems to be where it's at if you can't afford SD/Zaxcom. I wouldn't consider anything else at that price point.

[TheRenaissanceMan]

I recently upgraded my H4n to an H5 (same preamps as the H6). Excellent performer. Menus are perfectly intuitive to me, but maybe that's just my familiarity with the brand. 

Also just picked up a Senheiser MKE600. Very comparable sound to the NTG-3 imo, but a lot less expensive and with the option to run off battery power to a 3.5mm jack as well as P48 XLR.

[SR]

On 5/14/2016 at 10:40 PM, Chris Bernard said:

Tascam 701D

Thanks, I will look it up,

 

On 5/14/2016 at 0:47 AM, TheRenaissanceMan said:

Also just picked up a Senheiser MKE600. Very comparable sound to the NTG-3 imo, but a lot less expensive and with the option to run off battery power to a 3.5mm jack as well as P48 XLR.

Another mic I'm not too familiar with. Thanks for the recommendation. Will look it up.

[M Carter]

Amazing value in a hyper mic - AT4053b. Yes, it's $600 new, but it's the last mic I'll buy other than specialty needs. It's just simply luscious. Sparkly highs, as much bass as you'd desire for voices, a really great, silky, crisp and "present" sound. Sounds great in a blimp, too (though i often remove the front cell if possible). if you ever see one used for a good deal, don't think twice. Evey time I mix interviews I think "holy crap this sounds great".

OST lavs are pretty spectacular values as well. I got a side-address (801?) which has a high-end bump and use it for hiding mics. Works great in the point of a shirt collar. All three of his mics are pretty highly regarded.

Favorite purchase of 2016? XLR barrel-style adapter that fits my lavs (sennhesier screw-on mini) and converts phantom power to mic power, and converts the mic signal to a balanced signal for a standard XLR cable. Makes it easy to use a lav when you don't actually need wireless but need a lav. Also make me use the lav more often, even when I have a mic on a stand, just to have a 2nd source to play with.

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

I've been in the habit of using XLR microphones lately on Zooms h1s, I never bought the h4n because I TESTed both the h1 and h4n back in the day and the h1 had betteer sound quality, so  I gave up the h4 XLR inputs and got 4 H1s, now I am using lots of high quality XLR microphones and would like to know: Do XLR-to-3.5mm adapters affect/lose sound quality? They've been working great for me , very well built and strong adapters, I even use XLRs on Canon/Nikon/Panny cameras and satisfied, but can't help wondering if I AM losing quality via using these adapters. 

[M Carter]

2 hours ago, Ebrahim Saadawi said:

I've been in the habit of using XLR microphones lately on Zooms h1s, I never bought the h4n because I TESTed both the h1 and h4n back in the day and the h1 had betteer sound quality, so  I gave up the h4 XLR inputs and got 4 H1s, now I am using lots of high quality XLR microphones and would like to know: Do XLR-to-3.5mm adapters affect/lose sound quality? They've been working great for me , very well built and strong adapters, I even use XLRs on Canon/Nikon/Panny cameras and satisfied, but can't help wondering if I AM losing quality via using these adapters. 

Just like about 80% of the questions posted here - test it and let us know.

[IronFilm]

Years and years ago started out with a Zoom H1. Then got a Tascam DR60D. Have a Rode VideoMic Pro.

 

Now use a Sound Devices 552 with a Petrol mixing bag I found cheap.

Will get a Tascam DR680 soon to pair with it (but want an F8!! But they're too pricey).

Have a Rode NTG2 and have a Sennheiser ME66/K6 on its way.

Have a RodeLink and 3x Samson Wireless kits.

Have a 3m carbon fibre boom pole.

Rode Blimp v2.

Various XLR cables and other accessories. Plus a bunch of less important mics.

[IronFilm]

I'm very happy with my set up but if a person was starting out from scratch with semi pro / serious indie amateur aspirations on a tight budget then I'd also suggest keeping an eye out for these products:

 

Tascam DR70D  (only US$200 on sale I've seen it for!! :-o I've used it myself as the soundie on an indie feature film)

Aputure D3 (announced at this year's NAB, meant to be as good as a Sennheiser MKH-416, but heaps cheaper).

Saramonic UwMic10  (looks like the Sony! Has 2x TX to 1x RX feature).

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

4 hours ago, M Carter said:

Just like about 80% of the questions posted here - test it and let us know.

And jusr like about 90% of the answers here, pointless. 

Sorry but it's pretty clear that I cAn't test it, no XLR sound recorder or camera here at hand so impossible to do. I think it's a ptretty basic/known questiom for audio oeople , do XLR to 3.5mm (onverters/cables lose qua'ity in the process of delivering the signal or is it like SD-to-MicroSD converters. JUst redirecting pins? 

The converters I use are not devices, simply a 2/3 cm long ''jack'' with an XLR input on the female side and a 3.5mm output as a male side. No cables if that's imporrtant. They do look and feel very solid, gold plated, they take quite a beating and still no signs of wear at all, no flimsiness. Would using a same-sound-quality recorder that has LR inputs increase the microphones sound quality vs a 3.5mm one?

[M Carter]

A cable that just transfers the wiring scheme to a different jack - there's no transformer in line for starters so the impedance won't change, which should give you lots of problems and potentially ground or shielding trouble. If you're talking a TR 1/8 or  TRS 1/8, you'll get into issue of stereo mics (seen a lot of cheap TRS mini stereo stuff) vs mono vs. is-it-grounded and shielded and so on. There are simply too many variables to give a 100% concrete answer. The knee-jerk answer will be "always, going from XLR to 1/8 with no transformer will drop your quality" - but will you hear it? I've had really different results when plugging a high-quality XLR, phantom powered mic into a recorder, and running the camera out (1/8 TR) to my camera in. Sometimes it's prefect, sometimes it's poor. And that's using a proper signal chain. Everything in the chain is a variable, and you need to test it as you'll use it for a definitive answer.

Your post said you're using "high quality" XLR mics, but you don't mention how you're powering them. Internal battery, phantom power box, or are you using dynamic mics? I can't offhand think of a mic considered "quality" for audio on set that doesn't need power of some sort.

If you're hiring audio guys, do a test with their gear sometime. There's no "obvious" reason you can't test something. 

"I've been in the habit of using XLR microphones lately on Zooms h1s… I am using lots of high quality XLR microphones… I even use XLRs on Canon/Nikon/Panny cameras" - I guess I missed what is "pretty clear" about being unable to test it. But if you want a definitive answer, find a way to test the exact chain you're writing about.

I'll now edit my original reply to "ninety ONE percent"… seriously, not trying to be an ass, there's only one answer and you'll be lucky if someone here can (A) take a wild guess and know exactly the signal chain you're talking about, and (B) have all that same gear, and ( C ) run an A/B test for you. From the list of gear you posted, seems like you have everything you need. (My wild guess: get - at the very least - a preamp made for phantom powering XLR mics and sending them out through a mini TS or TRS and you should hear a noticeable difference - that's kind of the bare minimum that an audio professional would suggest. But for not much more money you can get a Tascam DR60D which has all that and a really good recorder with limiter, bass cut, and -6DB safety tracks as well).

[SR]

On 5/17/2016 at 11:21 AM, IronFilm said:

Tascam DR70D  (only US$200 on sale I've seen it for!! :-o I've used it myself as the soundie on an indie feature film)

Aputure D3 (announced at this year's NAB, meant to be as good as a Sennheiser MKH-416, but heaps cheaper).

Saramonic UwMic10  (looks like the Sony! Has 2x TX to 1x RX feature).

You read my mind!

Also, just saw this for those interested: